Sugar cane is increasingly cultivated for bioenergy. This work looks at the effects on the soil-carbon balance of converting native vegetation, pastures or existing cropland, to sugar-cane plantations in Brazil, the world’s largest producer. The findings of the study should help shape policies aimed at achieving more sustainable sugar-cane production in Brazil as demand for biofuels grows.
- Francisco F. C. Mello
- Carlos E. P. Cerri
- Carlos C. Cerri